Keg washer questions

[kanzimonson]

Are march pumps powerful enough to get a thorough rinse? I would like to build something that would pump liquid through both posts as well as a freestanding pole to blast up the middle, but that seems like a lot of volume to move.

If you have a keg washer, do you ever physically scrub the inside of your kegs? Seems like you'd still want to do this just to be safe, but guess PBW is some powerful stuff when mixed in a strong concentration...

 

[dmcman73]

I wouldn't use a March pump for cleaning, you need to get it primed first and it's not submersible. Use this instead, in fact it's the same pump that is used in the Mark keg and carboy washer: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B006M6MSL0/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

The nipple is threaded on. You would just need a length of threaded plastic pipe that they use in sprinkler systems and a threaded cap with a hole drilled in it for the water to spray out pressurized. Or, use a length of hose coming off the outlet of the pump using the nipple.

I have a Mark keg washer, I got it as a gift. I generally use it to sanitize my fermentors and kegs with StarSan or to give it a good rinsing after a wash, I've never used it to actually wash my fermentors or kegs.

 

[kanzimonson]

While the priming issue is an inconvenience of the March pump, I can rig it up so that it's pretty minor.

I imagine a March pump would be much more powerful than that little pond pump right? I guess all I really care about is that all surfaces will be touched by a PBW solution - it doesn't necessarily have to blast the debris off.

 

[dmcman73]

While the priming issue is an inconvenience of the March pump, I can rig it up so that it's pretty minor.

I imagine a March pump would be much more powerful than that little pond pump right? I guess all I really care about is that all surfaces will be touched by a PBW solution - it doesn't necessarily have to blast the debris off.

That little submersible pump is quite powerful once it's pushing through a small hole, it has some force. Again, it's the same pump used in the MarkII Keg washers so it works. For $17 you can't go wrong and if it runs dry and gets damaged, you're not ruining a $180 pump like the March.

 

[kanzimonson]

Well I can't argue with the price!

 

[dmcman73]

Oh, and the other thing is that the front portion of that pump has a filter/strainer it in to keep out debris (most pond pump do) so it's perfect for the washing portion when loose debris comes off of what you are washing.